A Chance Meeting
by Warden of Tol Eressea
Summary: Life is strange. Sometimes, it just takes a simple chance meeting to change your life. Amourshipping one-shot. AshxSerena.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** **This is a bit of a different story. I'll admit that I actually got this idea from a dream that I had (it was totally not Pokemon-related but I thought that it was a good idea for an amourshipping piece). Let me know what you think of it** **.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon nor any of its characters.**

 **Update: Decided to make this a two-shot piece. First chapter is mostly the same (just some minor edits) and is in Ash's POV. The second is in Serena's. Please let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy** **.**

 **A Chance Meeting: Part 1**

 **Ash's POV:**

The thing with holidays is that it can be an extremely refreshing and invigorating time. For any trainer, after a long stretch of sweat and hard work, some downtime would seem very inviting, almost necessary even to prevent overworking one's Pokemon. It's a time for self-reflection, rest, and relaxation. A time when there's nothing too urgent to worry about, allowing one to enjoy the little things that would have seemed trivial before.

And that is where we find Ash Ketchum one day, walking down the path with his ever-present companion Pikachu. How different it feels to not be on the road, Ash mused. All his young life up to the age of ten had been filled with excitement and anticipation for becoming a Pokemon trainer. And when he finally reached that pivotal age, he found his journeys to have exceeded his wildest dreams. But now, after so long of constantly being on the move and reaching for his goals, Ash had decided to a break, to spend some time with his mother and all the pokemon he had left behind in Professor Oak's lab.

Pallet Town had not changed in the slightest when he had been away, nor had its people much. The Pride of Pallet he was now known as. It was a very different feeling to be held in such high regard by the people he had grown up around. While it was true that he had never taken the gold in any of the leagues he entered so far, unbeknownst to the aspiring Pokemon master, his reputation as a Trainer in every aspect that it entailed had left behind many admirers and had earned him the respect of all who had gotten to known him. And respect was much harder to earn than any trophy.

All his pokemon were thrilled to see him again. After a couple days of catching up and playing with his faithful friends, Ash had once again, as a true battler should, been filled with the desire to train. And all his pokemon were more than pumped to show off the new moves they had picked up while he was away. When he was not with his mother or training, Ash helped around the lab with Tracey and Professor Oak, who had become extremely interested in the recent phenomenon of mega evolution that had developed over in the Kalos region.

Ash also found out that while he had been away, his mother had found no difficulty in keeping herself busy. Along with the household duties she attended to every day, it had appeared that she had also taking upon showcasing her cooking projects in a variety of community events and cafes that had opened in neighboring towns and Viridian City.

And it was on such a day when his mother was away that Ash volunteered to do the weekly grocery shopping. It was a chance for him to get out a bit around town. The store that his mother liked to shop at was in the next town, but the walk wasn't overly long. To a seasoned traveler like himself, a leisurely walk to the supermarket seemed almost surreal. Unlike his journeys, there was no hurry nor any sense of urgency in these walks and Ash found the trips (while the task itself may seem like a chore to other people) surprisingly refreshing. The mild weather Kanto afforded blended very pleasantly with the peaceful scenery that Ash's hometown offered. All in all, Pallet was a quiet town and change came slowly, if it came at all. Events in the world outside seemed so distant when he was at home.

As Ash entered the grocery store, he reached into his pocket took out the list that his mother had left for him that morning and scanned it over.

"Let's see. Hmm, how about vegetables first Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Ash smiled and the two made their way over to the produce section. It was noon on a Monday and so Ash wasn't surprised that the store only had a few customers moving about. There was only one other person at the vegetable section, a girl around his age wearing a pink felt hat.

"Never seen her around before," Ash thought absentmindedly. They passed each other in the aisle and went about their separate tasks, just another passerby at the store.

* * *

A week later, Ash found himself once again in a familiar situation, strolling down the aisles pushing a cart and Pikachu, as always, perched on his shoulder.

"Let's see," Ash looked at his list, "How about we try out that new type of Pokemon food for electric-types?"

"Pika!" Pikachu never turned down a chance to try new food, a characteristic that his trainer undoubtedly shared.

 _Bam!_

He jerked forward in surprise sending Pikachu flying off his shoulder as Ash collided painfully into the handle of his cart as he realized that he had accidentally crashed his cart into someone else's. A can of food plopped onto his foot and rolled onto the floor as several more items fell from the shelves as he reached trying to steady himself.

"Oh I'm so sorry." He looked up at the soft voice and saw standing in front of him the same girl he had seen shopping a week before, her face staring worriedly at him as she knelt down to pick up the fallen cans. "Are you alright? I wasn't paying attention, I'm so sorry." Her startling blue eyes seemed endless as Ash felt himself being almost drawn into them. He opened his mouth to respond but found himself, uncharacteristically, lost for words before Pikachu headbutted him lightly and snapped him out of his reverie. He realized that he had been staring and felt a tinge of embarrassment.

"Oh no no. It's my fault. I wasn't watching either. There's no need to worry, right Pikachu?" Ash grinned sheepishly and give her a thumbs-up as Pikachu leapt back onto his shoulder once again. He bent down to help pick up the cans and together, they put them back in their rightful places.

The girl smiled at him shyly once again, causing his heart to positively dance with joy, and with a last apology, pushed her cart down the aisle. Ash stood there for a moment staring at her retreating back.

"Pika?" Ash shook his head a bit to clear his thoughts. _"What's gotten into me?"_.

"I'm just fine buddy. Come on, let's get going," Ash said as they went over to the snack section, where the subsequent selections of food took over both their attentions.

* * *

And so it became a weekly routine for Ash and Pikachu. Every Monday of the week, they would take the grocery list and walk over to the nearby town, enjoying the weather and just the overall peacefulness of each other's company. It's weird how refreshing such a normally mundane task can seem. After so much excitement in his journeys, the seemingly insignificant task of grocery shopping felt so relaxing. And Ash was more than willing to help his mother out with the household chores.

Every Monday, they would go. And every Monday, Ash would see the girl in the pink hat. Sometimes, they bumped into each other, smiling as they went about their separate ways. Other times, he would just see her in the distance, going about her own shopping. They never really talked much besides the occasional apology should they bump into each other. But overall, aside from the that initial meeting, Ash didn't let his mind wander much to the girl except for the times he saw her, although he did find himself looking forward to going shopping every Monday more than usual.

It was a strange feeling. Everyone's felt it at some point or another during their lives. You're at some event or you're just walking down the street and you see a passerby and you just get this feeling that it would be so cool to get to know him or her, even if that person is a stranger. She seems like a very cool person to get to know, Ash thought absentmindedly. But again, it was fleeting. They never saw each other except at the grocery store. But it would be nice indeed.

* * *

One day, Ash walked into the store with Pikachu once again and he saw Mrs. Hall at the register, an extremely energetic elderly woman who was a friend of his mother's.

"Hi Mrs. Hall. How are you doing?" Ash greeted as he walked in and approached her.

"Well, well, well. Ash and Pikachu!" Mrs. Hall exclaimed, her whole face lighting up. "It's been too long!" And before Ash knew it, he was tackled in a bear hug.

"How has my Pokemon Master been?" she asked as she let him go.

"It's been good," Ash breathed out, checking to see if his ribs were intact. They stood there for a while, catching up and Mrs. Hall went off to tell him all the latest town gossip that she was so fond of talking about.

"Hey Mrs. Hall," Ash suddenly got an inspiration. "You know almost every person who comes here right?" She nodded and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Well I wanted to ask if you knew this one girl." He described the girl he had seen every week and when he was finished, Mrs. Hall had a huge grin on her face.

"So you're asking about a specific girl eh?" she started to chuckle and said fondly. "The day Ash Ketchum comes to ask me after a girl."

Ash felt a flush of embarrassment and scratched the back of his head. "No, no, no. I'm just wondering who she is. That's all," Ash protested a bit weakly. He really didn't know why he had asked so suddenly but it was just a feeling he had. He didn't know her. Heck, he had barely spoken to her so his intention on asking after her wasn't what the reason Mrs. Hall was probably thinking. It was just…a feeling. Some inexplicable feeling.

"Don't worry Ash. I'll take care of everything." And like that, she was off in a flash, making her way down the aisles.

"Wait! What? Mrs. Hall!" Ash stuttered out. Take care of what? He and Pikachu looked at each other, confused. Ash started to go after her and then just slumped his shoulders and sighed. What had he gotten himself into this time. He looked at Pikachu and they both shrugged. Things always worked themselves out in the end. He just hoped Mrs. Hall wouldn't do something embarrassing or get the girl to think he was some kind of creep. And if she did, well…there were other grocery stores around so he wouldn't have to show his face.

And so they went about their regular shopping and he was just about to go check out when Pikachu gave an exclamation.

"What's up buddy?" Ash turned his head to what Pikachu had been pointing at and he saw the girl with the pink hat running towards him. He felt a flash of panic and wondered if he shouldn't attempt to hide himself. But then she stopped in front of him, panting slightly, her pink hat slightly lopsided as she looked up at him.

"Hi."

"Hey."

They stood there looking at each other. Ash didn't know what to say. Did Mrs. Hall tell her something? Then, to his great surprise, she gave him a dazzling smile and said with a grin, "Did you really think it was a coincidence we kept bumping into each other?" And with a wink, she grabbed her bags and walked out the store.

Ash stared at her speechless and dumbfounded. Did that mean…? No, it couldn't have. Right?

"Pika Pikachu." Pikachu swiftly zapped Ash once and Ash quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"You're right. Thanks Pikachu." And just like that, he ran out the store after her.

He saw her loading her bags into her car and she was already getting into the driver's seat when he ran up to her car waving frantically. She rolled down the window and now it was he who stopped in front of her panting slightly.

He grinned at her. "Would you like to get ice cream with me sometime?"

She beamed and smiled happily back. "That took you long enough. Tomorrow at noon?"

"You can count on it." Ash's grin got wider. Somehow, he felt like he could take on the entire world right now. They said goodbye and she was just about to drive off, when a thought suddenly made Ash turn back around.

"Wait!"

The girl turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

Ash smiled a bit sheepishly. "I never got your name. I'm Ash from Pallet Town."

She gave him another smile, one that Ash thought he could get more than used to. "I'm Serena."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I decided to expand upon my original story a bit and take things from Serena's POV. The first part is almost the same as what I had originally (with some slight editing). Hope you enjoy and please review and tell me how it is** **.**

 **A Chance Meeting: Part 2**

 **Serena's POV**

" _What a lousy vacation,"_

Serena thought grouchily as she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, promptly slumping into a stool facing the kitchen countertop and gave an enormous yawn. Her mother Grace was already up and about fixing breakfast, with her Fletchling perched on her shoulder, and she looked up as her daughter came into the room.

"Morning Serena. I've got your breakfast ready."

Serena gave another big yawn as she replied, "Thanks Mom." She placed her head in the palm of her hands and closed her eyes moodily. It would be another long day of Rhyhorn training, filled with bruises, aches, and failure. It wasn't that she hated Rhyhorn racing. She loved all her mother's Rhyhorn and she loved watching her mother race. But it wasn't something she wanted to do herself. Her mother had a fierce passion for the sport but Serena just couldn't match that. She sighed again and looked out the window. At least it would be another beautiful day of the summer…not that she could enjoy it.

Her mother had been invited along with several other professional racers to hold a series of showcase races in the Kanto region. Grace had decided to take advantage of this opportunity to both showcase and take a small vacation away from Kalos. She had thus rented a spacious house to stay at just on the outskirts of Pallet Town for her and Serena to spend the summer. The vast pastures and farmland that surrounded Pallet was both a perfect training spot and a good environment for the Rhyhorn. Serena had been overjoyed when her mother had announced one evening that they would be spending a large portion of the upcoming summer in the Kanto region. It was an opportunity to meet new people and experience a new region. It was also an opportunity to get away from Rhyhorn training, or so she had thought until her mother had insisted that training continue at least somewhat during their vacation. Yes, her mother was passionate alright.

Grace slowly sipped at her morning coffee and looked at the sleepy form of her daughter and smiled slightly to herself. Perhaps it was time she sprang her surprise.

"So, I've got several races planned for today and throughout the week," she said and paused before continuing, "so perhaps it would be a good idea to postpone Rhyhorn training for a bit of time while I prepare." At that, her daughter shot up, all traces of sleepiness gone as Serena stared up at the amused look on her mother's face.

"Really?!" Serena jumped up and cheered as Grace chuckled and rolled her eyes a bit at her daughter's antics.

"Yes, this is a vacation after all. Go on and enjoy yourself a bit. I think you've deserved a little break." Grace had barely finished before she found herself tackled in a massive hug.

"Oh thank you thank you," Serena squealed before she finally released her. Grace smiled and put her cup down.

"I do have some chores for you though," Grace continued as Serena groaned slightly, "I want your room tidied up a bit and I have a list of groceries for you to get. It's a good chance for you to see the town a bit, maybe meet some new people." Serena grudgingly nodded but then perked up almost immediately. Going around town would certainly be much more interesting than training. The two women finished their breakfast and as Grace left with a parting kiss, they went about to start their separate days.

* * *

Serena hummed slightly as she slowly drove down the quiet road towards the town grocery store. In many ways, Pallet Town was a lot like Vaniville Town, with its quaint atmosphere and friendly people. She hadn't had much time to fully explore the area, as she spent a lot of her day Rhyhorn training and found herself too exhausted to do much else. The few people she had encountered so far were friendly enough, though there wasn't too many people her age around. The tournament at the Indigo Plateau would be happening soon, she remembered, and no doubt many trainers were abroad, training and collecting the last of their badges. When she got here, she noticed the flyers everywhere and it was almost all the people of Kanto could talk about.

Serena felt a tiny twinge of envy as she watched commercials of the battling trainers. They were filled with so much passion and the joy (and disappointment) was almost tangible in every trainer she saw. Even the everyday residents who weren't battling seemed to follow the League with a fervor. She didn't really know what she was passionate about or what she wanted to do with her life. Just anything but Rhyhorn racing.

She drove into the parking lot of grocery store and made her way inside. It was Monday morning and so she wasn't surprised to see the store mostly empty as she worked through her mother's list of items. The only person she could see was a boy about her age with a Pikachu perched on top of his shoulder poring through the vegetable section. She watched as the boy scratched under his Pikachu's chin as they laughed about something and felt something tug at her insides. As they passed each other, Serena saw that he was tanned and looked very fit. She could tell that he was someone who had travelled and been through much. His raven-colored hair seemed just barely contained under the cap that he wore and Serena felt herself smiling again. _"Perhaps grocery shopping isn't too bad after all."_

* * *

The days passed and Serena found herself increasingly enjoying Pallet Town. Vacation had turned out to be awesome after all, especially coupled with the wonderful absence of any Rhyhorn racing. She would explore the nearby woods, enjoy a nice swim in the little creeks, or read a good book far out in the fields where the blue sky seemed to stretch out endlessly. Sometimes, her mother would take her out to her racing events and Serena found herself enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of Viridian City.

Every Monday, she would make her way to the grocery store and every single time she would feel the familiar rush of excitement that meant the boy with the Pikachu was also there. There were very few people her age around and so she felt drawn to the boy, though she was much too shy to approach him. She did observe though, as she went about her shopping, some of the small things he did. He seemed to be perpetually cheerful and had an almost boyish attitude as he picked out food with his Pikachu, who seemed extremely fond of his trainer.

One Monday, as she pushed her cart and turned into an aisle deep in thought, she felt a sudden impact and snapped out of her reverie in surprise as she crashed into someone, who turned out to be the boy with the Pikachu.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she sputtered out, her face turning red with embarrassment, as she hurriedly went over to see if he was ok. Several cans of food fell from the shelves as she mentally berated herself. The boy looked up at her and Serena felt a rush of Butterfrees in her stomach as they stared at each other.

"Are you alright," she implored worriedly, "I wasn't paying attention, I'm so sorry." She just had to go and make a fool of herself in front of this boy. She bent down to pick up the fallen cans and the boy followed suit.

"Oh no no. It's my fault. I wasn't watching either." She looked up shyly at the sound of his voice as he gave her a sheepish grin that made her insides melt, "There's no need to worry, right Pikachu?" He gave her a thumbs-up as his Pikachu jumped back onto his shoulder.

" _Come on! Say something!"_ She mentally willed herself but she found herself lost for words and only managed a shy smile back before they went on their separate ways again. She rounded the corner before she slumped against the wall and sighed at her cowardice. She didn't exactly envision her first meeting with him to go out this way. True, he was a just a boy who was just a total stranger. But again, she felt herself drawn to him. _"He's certainly not bad on the eyes either,"_ she thought before she snapped herself out of her confused daze and went back to her list of items.

* * *

There never was an opportunity to talk to him after that initial meeting. Serena would see him with his Pikachu every Monday and they would smile to each other if they passed one another. Sometimes, she even dared to bump into him again, but aside from apologizing, she just could never find the courage to start a conversation with him...not that she even knew what to say or trust herself not to make a complete fool of herself again. And so she just continued to observe him from a distance the little things. How he interacted with his Pikachu, the kindness that he showed to those around him, and how she came to crave seeing his smile or grin, a feeling of euphoria that was compounded a million times when it was directed at her.

During her trips to the grocery store, she became good friends with one of the women who worked there, Mrs. Hall. She was an elderly lady who seemed to have an endless stream of talk that she was more than eager to share with Serena. She had helped Serena several times during her first few trips to the store when she was struggling to find items that she had never seen in Kalos before. She had developed a good friendship with the elderly cashier and was always willing to spend a few minutes to talk with her before she went home.

It was during one of those conversations when she had tentatively broached the subject of the boy with his Pikachu. Mrs. Hall had the biggest grin on her face and Serena had to beg her not to tell him or do anything about it. But it was from her that Serena found out that his name was Ash Ketchum and that he was something of a local celebrity around Pallet Town. She learned that he wanted to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master and had placed very high in the very first Indigo Plateau tournament he attended, as well as truly impressive results in his many subsequent showings. From the way Mrs. Hall talked of him, Serena could hear the tone of respect and pride that seemed to be mirrored by almost all who interacted with him.

It made her admiration for him grow, not because of how great a battler he was, but because of how the people seem to regard him and the kind-heartedness that she could just catch a glimpse of from the very few times she spoke with him.

* * *

One day, Serena was browsing through the dairy section when suddenly, she saw Mrs. Hall hurriedly making her way to her with a huge grin on her face.

"Do you know what just happened?" the elderly cashier asked gleefully, looking as if she could barely contain her excitement.

Serena tilted her head to one side and peered at Mrs. Hall with a look of confusion on her face.

"Well," Mrs. Hall said with a bit of relish, "the word on the street is that there's a certain handsome teenage boy who has been asking about you." She paused dramatically and couldn't help but smile wider at the look of bewilderment that had spread on Serena's face, who had leaned in almost subconsciously, before continuing, "This certain boy has a Pikachu."

Serena felt a sudden rush of realization as she grasped the meaning of her friend's statement. Could it really be? She looked at her friend with a look of hopeful delight as Mrs. Hall nodded towards the front of the store.

"If you hurry, you might still catch him," Mrs. Hall said with a bright gleam in her eye as she patted the dumbstruck girl slightly on the shoulder before merrily going about her way again. With a rather uncharacteristic split second decision, Serena grabbed her bags and, with a shout of thanks towards her elderly friend, she ran down the aisles towards the cash registers, determined this time to overcome her cowardice and talk to Ash.

She saw him in line to check out and as she approached, the Pikachu on his shoulder noticed her and cried out. She stopped in front of him panting, before looking up into his warm chocolate-brown eyes.

"Hi."

"Hey."

They stood there looking at each other for a moment. Serena felt her courage start to slip. Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure that even he could hear it. She gathered her wits and before the nerve left her, gave him a huge smile and said a bit teasingly, "Did you really think it was a coincidence we kept bumping into each other?" She saw his eyes widen in surprise and his Pikachu started grinning at her. She couldn't help but smile wider at the dumbfounded pair and grabbed her bags to leave, adrenaline coursing through her.

" _Well,"_ she though nervously as she headed out of the store into the parking lot, not daring to look back at the Ash's reaction, _"That wasn't quite as bad as I expected. Would he take up the hint?"_ She packed her bags into the trunk of her car and peered out hopefully at the store entrance.

" _He's not coming. Maybe he wasn't interested_." She felt a rush of disappointment as she rested head on the driving wheel and stared miserably at her lap. A sudden platter of feet made her look up and she saw him running towards her car, waving frantically. Her heart leapt with excitement as she quickly rolled down the window and grinned hopefully at the panting boy in front of her. He looked up at her and gave her a brilliant smile before asking a bit hesitantly, "Would you like to get ice cream with me?"

She almost squealed out loud with excitement but caught herself as she beamed at him and responded a bit teasingly, "That took you long enough. Tomorrow at noon?"

Ash's grin widened as he said, "You can count on it." She could see his genuine happiness and found herself wishing that that it was already tomorrow. They said goodbye and she was about to drive off when he suddenly called at her again.

She turned towards him again and looked at him questioningly. Ash smiled a bit sheepishly, one hand scratching the back of his head. She couldn't help but notice how cute he was when he did that, and a little endearing. Almost everything he did was a little endearing to her and she loved it.

"I never got your name. I'm Ash from Pallet Town."

She chuckled a bit and grinned blushingly back. How could she have forgotten to introduce herself. "I'm Serena."

"Serena," Ash said as if almost savoring the name. They waved at each other once more and went on their separate ways. Serena hummed happily to herself as she drove on home. The day somehow seemed brighter and she felt like a balloon inside so much was her joy.

" _What a wonderful vacation."_


End file.
